Kaptur statement on Environmental Management

Welcome, Secretary Klaus and Secretary Whitney, and thank you for taking the time to discuss the Environmental Program.

Mr. Whitney, your program faces massive challenges. The legacy of the Manhattan Project is an obligation we as a country must address. The continued issues at the Waste Isolation Plant and at Hanford  are illustrative of not only the dangers posed by the remaining materials, but also the technical and budgetary challenges that further complicate the eventual success of the Department’s efforts.

Further, I have lingering concerns about the Department’s safety culture.  With such a critical mission at stake, the work environment at your sites must ensure employee concerns are addressed in a timely manner and without fear of retribution.

Given the constrained fiscal environment, it will be crucial that all resources are employed to their fullest potential.  In this austere budget setting, issues of project management and corporate governance are increasingly vital to the success of the Department’s mission. The Department must follow through with strong leadership and fundamental management reform. Failing to do so will significantly inhibit the execution of this mission as well as the Department’s credibility.

Finally, I would like to reiterate the budgetary hurdles posed by the use of uranium sales to fund work at some of the sites you oversee.  I appreciate you working with me in the past to address concerns at the Portsmouth site.  Thought not in my district, it is in my state, and in one of the highest unemployment counties in the country, where additional job losses and job uncertainty send harmful waves through the local economy.  I hope we can continue working together to minimize instability and ultimately complete the cleanup work at the site.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for the time.